Veneer-cutting machinery.



C. H. HATCH.

. VENEER CUTTING MACHINERY. APPLICATION FILED mmzs. 19w.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented. Dec. 4,1917,

C. H. HATCH.

VENEER CUTTING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION mzo mmze. 19x7.

Patented 10 4, 1191?.

2 SHEET8-SHEET 2- GI-IARLES H. HATCH, OF FREDONIA, NEW TUBING COMPANY,OF LOGKPORT, NEW

YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MERRTTT MANUFAC- YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

VENEER-CUTTING MACHINERY.

ease-no.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 26, 1917. Serial No. 157,475.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CI-IARLEs H. HATCH, V

a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Fredonia,county of Chautauqua, and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improve ments in and Relating to Veneer-Cutting Machinery, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in veneer cuttingmachinery; and the objects and nature of my invention will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art in the light of the followingexplanation of the accompanying drawing illustrating what I now believeto be the preferred mechanical expression or embodiment of my inventionfrom among other forms, arrangements and constructions within the spiritand scope thereof.

In veneer cutting machinery, it is necessary, for proper production,that the rela tive lateral positioning of the knife and pressure bladebe varied as the direct spacing of said parts is varied to change thethickness of the veneer produced. For in stance, where the spacingbetween the knife and blade is increased or decreased horizontally toincrease or decrease the thickness of the veneer, it is necessary thatthe relative lateral positioning of the knife and blade be alsocorrespondingly varied vertically according to an approximately fixedratio, and usually in machines of the general type illustrated hereby,this is about two, to one, 2'. c. the vertical or lateral spacing shouldbe equal to about one half the horizontal (or so-called radial) spacing.

l-leretofore, the horizontal or radial spacing has been controlled tovary the thickness of the veneer produced, by shifting'the pressureblade approximately radially of and toward and from the work (the log)and the cutting edge of the knife, through the medium of a hand wheelcontrolling an adjusting worm and sector or by other setting means,while the required lateral or vertical setting of the blade with respectto the knife which was then necessary in view of the changed horizontal.spacing of the knife and blade, was effected through the medium of twovertical stop screws which had to be separately adjusted by hand toraise or lower the blade to the desired horizontal plane with respect tothe horizontal plane occupied by the cutting edge of the knife. Themanipulation of these two stop screws is a time consuming operationrequiring more or less skill. Also, this separate adjustment requiresexperience and skill on the part of the operator to know at whatelevation the blade should be set for each horizontal adjustment of theblade, and although essential this is an adjustment that operators areliable to overlook or neglect as each new setting of the blade for adifferent veneer requires separate adustment to attain the propervertical positioning of the blade.

It is an object of my invention to cause the blade to automaticallyassume the proper position with respect to the knife at each operationof setting the blade for a different veneer, and to set and position theparts for a different veneer production by a single manual operation.

It is a further object of the invention to automatically bring about theproper relative positioning of the blade and knife at the same time thatthe manual setting operation takes place, and to thereby avoid theseparate operations of manually adjusting stop screws, and of manuallysetting the parts whenever it is desired to produce a difierent veneer.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby but onemanual operation will be required to bring about proper relativepositioning and spacing of the blade and knife with respect to eachother and the log whenever parts are shifted for the production of adifierent veneer.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and incombinations and arrangements as more fully and particularly set forthhereinafter, and apparatus embodying my invention is characterized inwhole or in part by means necessitating the accurate relative lateralpositioning of the knife and blade with respect to the spacing of theknife and blade whenever the parts are set to produce a different veneerso that each setting operation automatically causes the knife and bladeto assume the predetermined relative lateral positioning required by anyparticular spacing of said parts to produce a certain veneer.

In the accompanying drawings Figures 1 and 2, are cross sectlons,sJmelPatented Dec. 4t, 191W...

certain parts of a veneer cutting machine embodying my invention.

In the veneer cutting machine illustrated for our ooses of ex alanationthe "ressure blade 1, is mounted in and normally fixed to the front edgeportion'Q of ,a cap or pressure bar and is arranged to bear against thesurface of the log (or other work) which is held in and rotated bysuitable chucks as will be readily understood by those skilled inthe-art." When set for veneer cutting, the pressure blade bears againstthe log in rear of the vertical plane occupied by the cutting edge 3 ofthe upwardly extending veneer cutting knife and'also'above thehorizontal plane occupied by said knife edge.

The pressure bar is here shown as a casting, approximately triangular incross section having rearwardly extending top leg or plate l, rearwardlyextending bottom leg or plate 5, and vertical end walls or plate 6.

The end walls are formed with alined bearing openings or sleeves?arranged a distance in rear of the front edge portion of the bar, andthese sleeves receive corresponding eccentric portions 8 of a hollowshaft or tube 9 by which the rear portion of the bar is supported and onwhich it is vertically r-o'ckable to permit its front edge portion 2carrying the pressure blade, to rise and fall.

The hollow shaft 9 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 10 which is supportedby end blocks or boxes 11 slidable in guide ways in the frame ends 12,as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. Theconcentric end portions of the hollow shaft 9 are mounted in hangers 13.

The veneer cutting knife extends upwardly and forwardly from the frontupper portion of the knife bar or carriage 1-1l which'is here shown intheform of a casting triangular in cross section'and embodying verticalend walls 15, and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined top plate or leg.

The knife bar is pivotally hung from the lower ends of hangers 13through the medium of .alined pivot pins 16 arranged at the rearportions of the end walls 15 of the knife bar. As those skilled in theart understand, suitable means are provided to control the position ofthe knife bar to set and maintain the pitch of the knife, but myinvention is not concerned with such means.

In' the embodiment illustrated, the pressure ar is arranged above andparallel with the knife bar, and the front portion 2 of the pressure baris arranged between with 1135' ends-spaced from the front portions ofthe vertical end walls 15 of the knife bar, and with the pressure bladeand cutting edge of the knife approximately meeting in their mostadvanced relative positions.

In the example illu..rated, the pressure blade 1 is moved horizontallytoward or from the log to decrease or increase the horizontal spacingbetween the blade and knife and consequently to correspondingly vary thethickness of the veneer produced, by rotating the hollow shaft 9 tothrow the cocentrics 8 forwardly, or by rotating said shaft in theopposite direction to throw said eccentrics rearwardly, and therebybodily move or slide the pressure bar horizontally by the cam oreccentrics 8 in the sleeve 7 of said pressure bar.

The pressure bar is rockable vertically on and its rear portion, isupheld by the hollow shaft, and suitable means are orovided to upholdthe front portion of said bar and to cause the same to rise and fall (asthe bar is moved horizontally rearwardly and forwardly) with apredetermined proportionate length of vertical movement with respect tothe length of the horizontal movement.

Tnthe particular example illustrated, the front portion of the pressurebar is upheld by vertical screws 18, one at each end thereof, passingthrough tapped holes in lugs 19 projecting from the ends of the bar.These screws depend from the lugs and the lower ends thereof abut andrest on the upwardly and rcarwardly inclined smooth top surface :20 ofblocks 21 upheld by abutments or rear enlargements 22 rigid with andrising from the top surface of the knife bar and located at the endportions thereof usually beyond the ends of the pressure blade and belowthe projecting end lugs 19 of the pressure bar, so that the abutments22, the inclined surfaces 20, and the screws 18 are arranged at oppositeedges of the path followed by the veneer as it passes from the knife andmoves down and rearwardly over the top surface of the knife bar. Inother words, the sheet of veneer passes rearwardly between the oppositeend enlargements 22 and blocks 21, although I do not wish to so limit myinvention.

The front portion of the pressure bar is upheld and supported by theprojecting lower end f the screw 18 resting on the top surface 20 of asuitable support or abutment, and hence this projecting screw end formsa pressure-har-upholding support, foot or rest which is preferablyrounded or of semi spherical formation, approximately as shown, at itssurface that contacts the in lined plane 20.

The inclined plane 20 is elongated in the general direction ofhorizontal movement of the pressure bar, and the foot slides thereon andlongitudinally thereof as the pressure bar is moved horizontally by itssetting mechanism and the weight of the pressure bar holds the foot downon said plane. The plane 20 controls the elevation or vertical positionof the pressure blade 1, and said plane is so arranged and inclined thatwhen the pressure bar is approximately at its limit of forward movementtoward the log the pressure blade will approximately contact the cuttingedge of the knife and will be approximately at its limit of downwardmovement with respect to said cutting edge, and when the pressure bladeis approximately at its limit of rearward movement from the knife edgesaid blade will held thereby at its extreme elevation so long as thefoot 28 maintains its pressure bar supporting engagement with the topsurface of the support or abutment 21.

The top surface of the support 21 is preferably smooth to permit therounded foot 23 to freely slide thereon in riding up and down plane 20as the pressure bar is moved horizontally and to facilitate the cam orwedging action of the inclined plane in elevating the pressure bar asits feet 23 moves up the plane during the rearward movement of the bar,and in permitting said bar to drop as its foot 23 travels down the planeduring the forward movement of the bar.

When the eccentric shaft 9 is rotated, by any suitable means, to advancethe pressure bar horizontally toward the knife edge 3 the foot 23 slidesforwardly on the plane 20 and hence the pressure blade is automaticallydepressedas it advances. When the shaft 9 is rotated in the oppositedirection the pressure bar is Withdrawn from or moved rearwardly fromthe log and knife and the foot slides rearwardly on plane 20 andconsequently automatically elevates the pressure blade. as said blade iswithdrawn.

As hereinbefore explained, it is desirable that the vertical or lateralposition of the blade should always bear an approximately certainrelation to the horizontal, set or spaced position of the blade withrespect to the knife edge. For instance in the embodiment illustrated,it is desirable that the vertical movement of the blade should be equalapproximately to one half the horizontal movement of the blade, andhence in this instance, the angle of inclination of the plane 20 is suchas to require the blade 1 to move vertically approximately one half thedistance said blade moves horizontally when ever the pressure bar isshifted toward or from the log or the knife edge, by the rotation of theeccentric shaft or by any other means that might be employed to set orcontrol the position of the pressure blade with respect to the knifeedge.

any suitable mechanism can be provided for manually (or otherwise)setting the pressure bar to change the thickness of the veneer produced,and merely as an axample of means that can be employed for this purpose,I show the eccentric shaft 9 and sleeves 7 hereinbefore described, andan upright hand lever 25 fixed to said shaft and located between a pairof sleeves or collars 26, 27, loosely mounted on corresponding eccentricportions 28 of said shaft, and each formed with a worm sector 29 meshingwith worms 30 carried by shafts 31 mounted in the top plate 4 of thepressure bar and provided with hand wheels 32.

One of the loose sleeves i provided with a side locking notch 83arranged in ad vance of a corresponding side lrcking' notch 34 with.which the other sleeve is provided, and the hand lever 25 is swiugablelaterally on an intermediate transverse pivot and is provided withopposite locking projections 35, one of which is adapted to enter one ofsaid notches while the other is adapted to enter the other lockingnotch. l e le-- ver can thus be swung to lock either worm sector torotation with the eccentric shaft while releasing the other sector fromthe shaft.

A suitable hand controlled latch 37 is usually provided to operativelylock the lever to and permit its release from either of the worm sectorsleeves, or to permit the lever to assume an intermediate positionoperatively disconnected from both sleeves, and when in thisintermediate position the lever can be utilized to rotate the eccentricshaft to quickly advance or withdraw the pressure bar, or to swing thesame upwardly to clear the knife, as will be readily understood by thoseskilled in the art, the pressure bar setting mechanism described beingold.

When either worm sector is locked to the eccentric shaft through themedium of the hand lever, the worm meshing with that sector can beactuated by its hand wheel to horizontally shift the pressure blade witha slow and measured movement to accurately determine the thickness ofveneer to be out. If it is desired to quickly change the thickness ofveneer while the machine is in operation, the hand lever can be releasedfrom one sector sleeve, and then swung either forwardly or rearwardly tochange the width of opening between the blade and knife from an initialworking adjustment to a second working adjustment, and consequently thethickness of veneer, and then can be swung laterally to throw itslocking projection into the locking notch of the other sector sleeve,said notch being in advance of or behind the notch of the other sleeve.

During all of these various quick or measured horizontal adjustments ofthe pressure blade, the required relative lateral position ing of theblade and knife will be automatically and constantly maintained, so thatthe performing the. functions of the blade and knife illustrated.

I do not wish to limit the broad features of my invention to meanswherein the manual setting mechanism is applied directly to the pressurebar to move the same horizontally nor wherein the relative adjustmentfor horizontal spacing is necessarily applied'to the pressure bar, as Iwish to broadly cover means wherein the proper relative positions of theblade and knife are automatically maintained when a relative adjustmentbetween said parts takes place for production of a different veneer, nordo I Wish to limit the broad features of my invention to the inclinedplane and foot device for automatically maintaining proper positioningof the blade and knife.

It is evident that various changes, modifications and variations mightbe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exactdisclosures hereof but consider myself entitled to all such departuresas fall within the spirit and scope I of the invention.

What I claim is v 1. In a veneer cutting machine, a veneer cuttingknife, a cooperating pressure blade, and mechanism for changing therelative spacing of said parts for varying the thickness of veneerproduced and for automatically and simultaneously varying the relativelateral positioning of said parts.

2. In aveneer cutting machine, a veneer cutting knife, a cooperatingpressure blade, manually controlled setting mechanism for changing thespacing of the knife and blade for the production of difierent veneer,and means for automatically shifting the relative lateral positioning ofsaid parts whenever the spacing is varied.

3. In a veneer cutting machine, a veneer cutting knife, a coeperatingpressure blade, mechanism for changing the relative set of said knifeand blade to vary the thickness of the veneer produced, and means forautomatically changing the relative lateral positioning of said parts bythe act of varying the set thereof and in proportion to the variation inthe set.

4. In a veneer cutting machine, a veneer cutting knife, a cooperatingpressure blade, and manually actuated means for simultaneously varyingthe relative set and the relative lateral positioning of the blade andknife by a single operation, for changing the 'hickness of veneerproduced.

5. In a veneer cutting machine, a veneer cutting knife, a cooperatingpressure blade, and mechanism automatically maintaining the relativelateral positioning of the knife and blade according to the set thereofand varying in proportion to the variation of the set, and embodyingmeans whereby the relative set of the knife and blade can be varied forchanging the thickness of veneer produced.

6. In a veneer cutting machine, a veneer cutting knife, a cooperatingpressure blade, and manually controlled mechanism for determining therelative set and lateral positioning of the knife and blade to changethe thickness of veneer produced, said mechanism involving meansautomatically shifting the relative lateral positioning of the blade andknife at a predetern'iincd ratio with respect to changes in the relativeset of said parts.

7. In a veneer cutting machine, a veneer cutting knife, a cooperatingpressure blade,

means for shifting the relative positioning and setting of the blade andknife for changing the thickness of veneer produced and forauton'iatic-ally causing the predetermined lateral positioning betweenthe blade and knife required by any particular relative setting of saidparts to produce a certain veneer thickness.

8. In a veneer cutting machine, a veneer cutting knife, a cooperatingpressure blade, means whereby the relative spacing and lateral positionsof said parts can be shifted to vary the thickness of veneer produced,and means automatically shifting and maintaining the lateral positioningof said parts at a predetermined fixed ratio with respect to the spacingof said parts.

9. In a veneer cutting machine, a veneer cutting knife, a cooperativepressure blade movable toward and from the knife and also movablelaterally with respect to the knife, manually actuated means forshifting said blade, and lneans for automatically controlling thelateral position of the blade as the blade is moved toward and from theknife.

10. In a veneer cutting machine, a veneer cutting knife, a cooperatingpressure blade movable toward and from the knife to vary the relativespacing between the knife and blade, and means for automatically movingthe blade laterally with respect to the knife as the blade is movedtoward and from the knife, said means maintaining a fixed predeterminedratio between the lateral movement of the blade and the movement of theblade toward and from the knife.

11. In a veneer cutting machine, a veneer cutting knife, a cooperatingpressure blade, mechanism for changing the relative set of inaaaao saidknife and blade to vary the thickness of the veneer produced, and meansfor automatically changing the relative lateral positioning of saidparts by the act of varying the set thereof and in proportion to thevariation in the set, said means embodying a longitudinally inclinedsurface and a foot engaging the same.

12. In a veneer cutting machine, a veneer cutting knife, a pressure barproviding a pressure blade cooperating withthe knife, said pressure barprovided with a foot, an abutment provided with a longitudinallyinclined surface on which said foot rests and along which it islongitudinally movable as the bar is moved to carry the blade toward andfrom the knife, and means for moving the bar toward and from the knife,said blade being automatically moved laterally with respect to the knifeby the movement of the foot on the inclined surface as the bar is movedtoward and from the knife.

13. In a veneer cutting machine, a veneer cutting knife, a cooperatingpressure blade, and manually controlled means for varying the relativespacing of the knife and blade to change the thickness of the veneerproduced and for automatically maintaining the relative lateralpositioning of the blade and knife with respect to and in accordancewith the relative spacing of said parts.

14. lln a veneer cutting machine, a knife bar provided with a veneercutting knife and having an abutment provided with a rearwardly andupwardly inclined longitutnnten at thtt patent may he obtained. for fivecents each, by addressing the dinal surface arranged transversely withrespect to said knife, a pressure bar arranged above said knife bar andprovided with a pressure blade to cooperate with said knife, a supportfor said pressure bar, the front portion of said bar carrying said bladebeing movable vertically and provided with a depending rounded footabutting and slidable on said inclined surface and upholding said frontportion of the pressure bar and determining the vertical position ofsaid blade with respect to said knife, and means for moving saidpressure bar to change the spacing between said blade and the knife,said foot elevating said blade as the foot moves rearwardly on saidsurface and permitting said blade to lower as the foot moves forwardlyon said surface.

15. In a veneer cutting machine, a veneer cutting knife, a pressure barprovided with a pressure blade cooperating with said knife, said barprovided with means for shifting the same to vary the spacing betweenthe blade and knife and being movable to vary the lateral position ofthe blade with respect to the knife, and a longitudinally inclinedsurface supported independently of said bar and its blade andcontrolling the lateral position of the blade with respect to the knife,said surface cooperating with said bar to automatically maintain thelateral shifting of the blade at approximately one half the distance ofthe shifting of the blade for s acin P CHAS. n. narcn.

Commissioner of Patents,

aahlngton, l). G

